NICK FALDO, Ian Woosnam and Colin Montgomerie are three of the oldest swingers in town, yet this trio of British golfing legends know a few things about the Ryder Cup experience.

They have a combined experience of 25 Ryder Cups and are well placed to tell the Welsh what they've let themselves in for when one of sport's most high-profile and prestigious spectacles lands on their doorstep in five years time.

The 2010 Ryder Cup at Newport's Celtic Manor Resort will be the biggest event Wales has ever staged and hero Montgomerie, tipped to be European captain for that 38th transatlantic spectacle, last night gave the Welsh a little word of warning.

More than 50,000 spectators are expected for each of the three days - and the practice rounds - at the 2010 Ryder Cup and the famous tournament will ensure the local economy hits a £100m jackpot.

"I don't think the people of Newport and South Wales know what they've let themselves in for," said Monty, a European ever present in the last six Ryder Cups.

"The Ryder Cup is huge and I don't think the people of Wales have grasped how big it is.

"It's the third biggest sporting event in the world behind the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup and South Wales will never get to stage one of them for pity's sake.

"This is it for Newport and South Wales, the Ryder Cup is the ultimate; it's an awesome occasion and the size of it will probably shock the locals.

"For a week in September 2010, the focus of the world will be on South Wales; 350 million people watched it on TV in 2002 . The area will be swamped. But if I know the Welsh, they'll love it. It'll be one of Wales' most memorable weeks in the country's illustrious history, I promise. Wales will stop for the week, as will Ireland next year, when the event is staged at the K Club."

And Ian Woosnam, Wales' most successful golfer, explains the three days of potentially exhilarating drama is just the tip of the iceberg.

Ryder Cup 2006 captain Woosnam said: "There's more to a Ryder Cup than what happens on the golf course. There's the off-the-course carnival at the resort and activities going on in the surrounding area.

"I'd imagine Newport will be buzzing with so much going on. It'll be an amazing spectacular and any country should be privileged to stage a Ryder Cup. But perhaps the Welsh don't actually realise the size of an event like this unless they've been to one. It's quite phenomenal."

The Celtic Manor's Wentwood Hills Ryder Cup course is currently undergoing a £12m revamp to be in tip-top shape for the 2010 event.

Celtic Manor owner and Welsh billionaire Sir Terry Matthews has issued an open chequebook policy to ensure his plush resort is ready for the world's top golfers - and the Welsh were last night reassured that the infrastructure around the five-star resort will be up to the job.

Ryder Cup Wales chairman John Jermine insisted: "The Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor was initially earmarked for 2009 but was put back a year after the 9/11 disaster forced the year-long postponement of the 2001 Ryder Cup. So the infrastructure will be ready for 2009."

The South Wales hotel boom - including a cluster of new hotels in Newport - will guarantee the required 5,000 hotel beds within touching distance of the Celtic Manor.

Cardiff Airport has confirmed it can deal with the huge passenger numbers while a major £5m facelift of Newport's railway station is due to be completed in 2008 to cope with the expected massive influx of visitors.

Also there'll be three giant car parks ten or so miles away in each direction of the resort to altogether hold up to 22,000 vehicles, then spectators will be bussed to the course.

Newport is tapping in to the Ryder Cup phenomenon as it undergoes a £2m facelift to develop the city centre.

Jermine added: "I'm not sure if the Welsh people know what'll hit them, but the organisers do and we'll be ready." This week's Wales Open, the annual European Tour event at the Celtic Manor, will be another trial run as they prepare for the big one. While obviously the Wales Open won't attract half the spectators of a Ryder Cup, it's a chance for the resort's logistics to be tested on handling relatively large spectator numbers.

The Wales Open will be the second time in Europe that Woosnam and Faldo will have played side-by-side since being named the next two European Ryder Cup skippers for 2006 and 2008 respectively. And if, as expected, Scot Monty takes over the mantle at the Celtic Manor, the next three European captains will be on show at the £1.5m Wales Open that starts on Thursday.

And the seven-time Volvo Order of Merit winner believes the 2010 spectacular will be extra special as the players will be staying on the complex.

"Very few Ryder Cup courses have an one-site hotel, especially one of six-star standing like this one," said Monty, who with 18.5 points in 26 matches has the best European average in Ryder Cup history.

"And having an on-site hotel will make the atmosphere so much more intense and special. We could get a buggy ride back to the hotel for team meetings; the atmosphere will be electric.

"At Oakland Hills last year the players stayed 20 minutes away from the course - shuttling back and forth - and it took something away from the Ryder Cup experience for us. It loses a certain something.

"The Belfry had an on-site hotel in 2002 and that was a special occasion with a phenomenal atmosphere as we were around each other all of the time."

This year's Wales Open, though, will be staged on the Celtic Manor's original - now back-up - course, the shorter par 70, 6,685-yard Roman Road as the Ryder Cup Wentwood Hills is undergoing a £12m redesign.

Nevertheless, the 2005 Wales Open boasts a strong field including Ryder Cup quartet Thomas Bj rn, Miguel Angel Jim nez, David Howell and Monty, not forgetting Faldo and Woosie.

And Monty added: "We all agreed that the previous Wentwood Hills course wasn't set up right for the spectators. A lot of money has been spent on the course to lift it to Ryder Cup standard."

Six-time major winner Faldo, whose Faldo Series youth initiative is based at the Celtic Manor, added: "The Ryder Cup is such a fantastic event and the people here seem to be putting in a great deal of effort to make 2010 a memorable year.

"Perhaps some people still see Wales as a bit of a backwater in golfing terms but why should it be seen like that? It's only two hours from London or the Midlands. It's a fantastic venue with a great atmosphere as people appreciate their golf."